GENERAL ASPECTS RELATED TO THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, THE MAIN SOURCE OF INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT AMONG ECONOMIC OPERATORS

Efficient actions carried out in technology transfer bring major benefits to all parties involved in the process. Increasing the technological endowment through the process of technological transfer from research to industry contributes significantly to the improving of the economic growth rate at the national and regional levels. Universities and research institutions as providers of knowledge are able to supplement their incomes and achieve financial autonomy in order to conduct entrepreneurial activities and research. They can also obtain other collateral benefits such as attracting research contracts sponsored by some economic operators, the ability to hire and retain top personnel and researchers. Romania, in terms of technology transfer and innovation activities among economic operators, is still trying to catch the significant gap compared to other European countries. In these conditions technology transfer processes must be well understood and put into practice both at research institutions as well as at the economic agents.